Customer Reviews

Under Great White Northern Lights (2LP 180 Gram Vinyl)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Approximately 59 minutes in length. The sound is very good,especially for a live recording. All the tracks are from a 2007 tour of Canada. The booklet has several atmospheric b&w and color photos of the band,audience,and related subjects. There's a DVD that's also for sale of this event,sold separately.

For fans of THE WHITE STRIPES,especially the intensity of the first few albums,this will be of great interest. This is the band,stripped bare to it's core elements of Jack and Meg,doing what they do best-Meg pounding out a primal,visceral beat,along with Jack's in-you-face distorted acoustic and electric guitar (along with keyboards and other instruments in places) in all it's glory. His vocals are a throwback to the group's formative years-very intense and immediate. The intensity of the live tracks on the earlier released "Walking With A Ghost",are only a hint of this set's power.

As an example,the first two tracks set the stage (no pun intended),and are pure WHITE STRIPES-these two tracks grab hold of you and don't let go,and are a glimpse of whats in store. Track three has Jack playing acoustic,but playing for all it's worth,with some great vocals. Then it's back to the fired-up sound they are known for. The tracks vary from there,from his trademark distorted electric guitar,to his intense acoustic sound,which help with the pacing,and add interest This concert series was an attempt to get back to what they originally became known for. Most (if not all) the venues were small,out of the way stops,and often times the group was unknown to the residents. This fact pushed the band to focus on what they do best,no frills-straight-ahead-rock. Tracks range from all through the band's albums,and all are given a no holds barred treatment.

From "Blue Orchid",to "Jolene",to "Seven Nation Army",through"Icky Thump",to other familiar (and not so familiar) tracks,this is a good example of THE WHITE STRIPES in all their glory-out to prove to an audience,that's not familiar with them,just what they're famous for doing in a live setting. The power that's only hinted at on several of these studio tracks,is unleashed in a loud,in-your-face-assault. At times,the sound,the excitement,is so immediate,that you feel you can reach out and almost touch it-such is the intensity of these performances. The only thing I don't like is the audience "participation"-there's to much of it,and intrudes on the performances. This is one of those albums that has to be played loud in order to get the full effect of what this two-person band is capable of. And with two musicians,who know how to play their instruments to maximum effect,and who want to prove themselves (again) for listeners-this is the real-deal. Be prepared to be knocked back by their intensity,as they take each tune and make it their own (again),and re-define not only their own songs,but rock music itself. This is honest music-the likes of which we don't get to experience to much today.

Your enjoyment of "Under Great White Northern Lights" will depend on two things 1. You must already like the White Stripes and 2. You must enjoy the current incarnation of the White Stripes. First for the people that will like this- this is rough and raw. The sound is dirty as hell and the songs are played at maximum volume for maximum effect. This is the White Stripes even more stripped down than on their albums. Jack White's vocals are more raw live than on record- the music acting as an exciter that pushes his vocals into higher registers. The guitar sounds like it is about to rip to pieces at any moment. Meg's drumming is, well, Meg's drumming- you can dig it or you can't- Me? I can dig it. Meg's simple yet rock solid bottom is what allows Jack to take flight and lose himself in layers of noise and chaos.

Now to the people on the fence- the set list definitely favors the newer material. The White Stripes seem to have lost much of the child-like innocence of the early records and have replaced it with a restless creativity, a darker sense of purpose and guitar tones that can test the patience of people more in tune with Jack White's "McCartneyesque" songwriting style of the first 3 albums. BUT like most good live records this is not some contract filler or holiday season toss-off- this album records a unique moment in the band's life- a time that perhaps finds them at a crossroads- this album and the tour behind it celebrated the first (hopefully not the last) decade of the band.

Look, in a nutshell- this is a live album- if you are a fan than you will find a lot to love here.

Wow, what can you say? These two never cease to BLOW MY MIND! The level of Rock and Roll that they are putting out is incredible! Besides crushing chords and shredding solos, the rhythm guitar makes me think of seeing ACDC back in late 70's early 80's, fantastic. I've seen them twice (Get Behind Me tour) plus the Blackpool Lights video (which is insane!), but have never heard "Union Forever" live, this version gave me chills! I was going to see them in Alaska on this tour but then Meg's health issues canceled it. I'm hoping that they will do at least one more big tour (please Jack & Meg!), I have to see them again. I hadn't heard any live for awhile, just been listening to the studio albums (get them all), and putting this on made my jaw drop all over again. Being an old fogey (40's) I was wondering awhile back if I would ever like a new artist again, then the White Stripes showed up. They took up the banner, and they are holding it up HIGH! Check it out! cheers.

This is a great live album. If you like The White Stripes or Rock 'n Roll music, buy this. If you've heard their live music before, you know it's good. This is them at their current peak ability. They sound sharp, crisp, frenetic, and on the edge of flying out of control. Mostly all of the great tracks are there. There may be one or two that you love missing, but almost everything is there. It's an enjoyable experience listening to this album.

If you have a record player, buy this. It sounds great however you listen to it, but listening to it on vinyl feels right. Plus, Jack White really puts time, effort, and care into his album presentation. It makes the vinyl version worthwhile.

Hey, don't get me wrong, the White Stripes are one of the best bands out there. They make great albums and they perform great live, but this doesn't quite capture them at their best. I understand that a certain "rawness" was part of the concept behind these recordings, but sometimes that rawness comes across as inferior sound quality. This is well worth owning, but judging only by the band's own impossibly high standards, you should make sure you pick up their concert DVD "Under Blackpool Lights", which captures them at their absolute best.

I ordered this box set through the White Stripes website. It came with a 200 page photo book, the Canadian tour dvd, Under Great White Nova Scotian lights concert dvd, Nova Scotian lights audio cd, and a vinyl copy of the concert also.

The box itself is very sleek. Great little item to have sitting with your record collection or up on a mantle. Everything is contained inside and doesn't slide around much so you don't have to worry about damaging the album covers. The concert dvd is in black and white, would have preferred color but it was artists decision and I can respect that. I would have liked to get the tour on Blu-ray also, but the picture on the dvd is good enough.

Great item, but kind of expensive for a casual fan.

I rarely go to the trouble of writing reviews, but frankly thank those that do, especially the superfan who really knows and cares, like me.

I have a couple WS boots because I had to relive the live sound I have heard just a couple times, so this first official release is right up there with those efforts and to a large degree the best live releases ever. I too haven't watch the DVD but look forward to it for one simple detail, the length.

Why when the CD has capacity for 80 minutes does any band limit the length of a live release unless it a pure audio documentary of a historic show such as many have been the case. In this case, this CD is a mix of songs from shows across this brave and historic tour so of course there was more than 80 minutes of unique music/songs that could and should have been represented here. This concept is why I love the live releases from jam bands like The Grateful Dead and Phish; they fill the empty spaces with real music and rare gems, to give the fan the full value and the full listening experience. When this CD ended at less than 60 minutes, knowing that is the length of the real show of course, I felt why not fill this void with some rare gems or candid moments from the balance of the tour.

The same thing happened with the double CD release from another favorite band Wilco, with their official release a few years ago. That release was the compilation of a set of shows in Chicago and I heard a boot from those nights, so why did Wilco leave out many songs and leave empty void on both discs? There is no valid explanation, same with this truly wonderful and long overdue White Stripes live release. Is it possible they did this to ensure a fan also bought the DVD?

Oh well, more my crazy ramblings and for what that is all worth do yourself the major favor of buying this CD and enjoying the Stripes like all mortal humans should in the live amazing energy amazing ability style that only Jack could seem put out there. Good for them overall and thank you.

I have been a fan since they first started. Everything Jack White does is quality in my opinion. I would rank this live album up there with "Get your Ya Ya's" and "Live At Leeds." It sounds awesome on headphones but I think you really need to let the music breathe on quality open air speakers.

The only thing I wish is that there would have been more songs from De Stil. You can't have everything I guess.

I saw these guys in Detroit when Jack White was actually in the opening band as well. Good to see him doing so well.

this is a must have, i'm not giving any details other than everything in this box and the box itself is totally worth twice the price, top notch quality, exclusive to the box artwork and complete 10th anniversary show @ nova scotia.

giving details would be like ruining a movie, this is something you must experiance yourself, unwrapping each item one by one checking it out is a rush all in itself!

amazon is sold out at this point but you can get this set directly from the white stripes web site.

white stripes items are known for commanding larger than average prices in the collecting world but you'll find out with a little research that they hold thier value and more! white stripes posters go for the hundreds so it's easy to see what this box will fetch in the future.

i will say that the 10 anniversary show is well over 2 hours and shot in classic black and white!

you will find high grade vinyl pieces, an awesome 200 and somthin page book (must have itself).

a totally frameable lithograph (1 of 6 chose randomly), and other goodies that are certainly must haves.

the DVD (1 of 2) is worth the price of the box itself seeing that you can't get it anywhere else!

white stripes fans unite, this is the one you've been waiting for.....for sure!

One the best bands of our time, comes this classic DVD, not only a tour doct. but a day in the life of the thinking process of the great song writers of our time, truly underated, group over all. Most people try to copy the sound now. But don't come close. Kind of like Neil Young, and Janis Joplin, and the fem version of Tommy Lee, drum style. Anyway, great drink songs, for any time of the years.